52-Splits Poker Game

ABSTRACT

A poker game played with a standard 52-card deck, in which each player is provided with five individual cards, three face down and two face up, in addition to a pair of community cards. Each player can form a hand from his five pocket cards and either of the community cards, but may not use both community cards to form a single hand. The poker game can additionally be played in a high/low variation, in which case each player makes two hands from his five pocket cards and the two community cards, and the highest and lowest hands split the pot. When the game is played in a high/low variation, both community cards can be used by a player, but only if they are used in forming two separate hands. Furthermore, ranked hands in addition to the standard ranked poker hands can be incorporated to increase the action of the game.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a modified poker game, played with a conventional deck of 52 playing cards divided into four suits of 13 cards each.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Poker has enjoyed an increase in popularity in recent years, and a variety of modified poker games have arisen to provide players with desired levels of action, complexity, and ease of play. Most varieties of poker share many common features. Most games utilize a standard 52-card deck, though some use one, two, or four jokers as wild cards that can represent any card of any suit. Players are dealt a certain number of cards. Players may be dealt cards face up or face down. Cards dealt to a player are known as “pocket cards,” and cards dealt face down to a player are known as “hole cards.” Many variations of poker also use “community cards”, which are dealt face up and are available to be used in combination with a player's pocket cards in forming a poker hand. Community cards add an additional element of competition, such as the potential for two players to be attempting to form the same or similar hands. Variations of poker in which one or more community cards are used have particularly increased in popularity.

Nearly all poker games utilize a wagering system, which often requires the majority of the skill, and generates most of the excitement of the poker game. Typical games utilize chips or other tokens placed in a central area, or “pot,” though informal games may use cash or other items. A poker game may begin with a forced bet, or “ante,” placed in the pot by each player to initiate the hand. Betting generally moves around the table in a clockwise direction, starting from the dealer or, in casino games, from a player serving as a nominal dealer, often indicated with a marker. One or more rounds of betting follow. In some poker games, in the first round of betting the player to the left of the dealer must make a forced “small blind” bet and the player to that player's left must make a forced “big blind” bet. The big blind is often approximately twice the small blind, but may be any amount, including equal to the small blind. Common combinations of small blind and big blind would be $1-$2, $1-$3, $4-$4, $10-$15, $25-$50, $50-$100, and so on. The blinds may be used in games with an ante and in games without an ante. During each round of betting, a player may “bet” by placing additional chips or other markers into the pot, or may “check” by passing the turn without betting. When a player checks, the next player has an opportunity to bet or check. When a player bets, other players have the option to “call” and match the player's bet, “raise” by matching the player's bet and betting an additional amount, or “fold” and forfeit the game. In games utilizing blinds, each player must call or raise the big blind bet on the first round. When the last round of betting concludes, any remaining players reveal their cards. In the “showdown,” the winner is determined by comparing the ranks of the players' hands, and the player with the highest ranked hand receives the accumulated bets in the pot.

Poker games with community cards differ in the order of cards dealt and presented, the number of cards available to each player in forming a poker hand, and the balance between community cards available to all players and pocket cards available to only a single player. Additionally, many poker varieties also provide multiple sets of community cards, and a hand may be formed from a player's pocket cards and any set of community cards, but not from a combination of cards from more than one set of community cards. Other variations provide for multiple sets of pocket cards with a single set of community cards or other similar variations.

The number of cards available to form a hand has a significant effect on game play, with a larger number of cards increasing the likelihood that higher ranked hands will be formed. While some players enjoy the frequent occurrence of highly ranked hands, the overall range of playable hands is reduced, leading to a game in which hopes of hitting a highly ranked hand predominate over the careful play of a variety of hands of different ranks. The addition of multiple sets of community cards has a similar effect on play, though not as pronounced as the effect of additional cards.

The balance of cards available as community cards to each player and of cards available as pocket cards to only one player has a strong effect on the degree to which a player is able to take full advantage of a good hand. When the balance is tilted towards a larger proportion of community cards, a large part of a player's hand is available to all players. For example, when a player has a straight of five sequential cards in a game using only two pocket cards, at least three of the five cards are community cards, and it is very likely that another player also has a straight. If a player has the same straight in a game using only two community cards and five pocket cards, it is unlikely that another player would have the same straight. This increases the ability of a player to maximize the benefit of a strong hand, since the player can rely on the fact that no other player is likely to be forming the same hand.

Another factor strongly affecting the game is the number of cards available to a player in a given betting round. Since many poker hands such as straights and flushes require five cards and have little strength if incomplete, a player is more likely to continue betting until at least five cards are available to him. In many poker variations, a player has five available cards after the first round of betting, and most variations provide the player with five available cards in the first half of the betting rounds. Since a player playing one of those variations is thus able to see five available cards, he is more likely to fold if he does not complete or come close to completing the straight or flush he was hoping to form. Consequently, many players bet for fewer rounds, and the overall size of the pot is less than if the players remained to the end of the hand or to a late round. Larger pot sizes typically add to the excitement of a game, and enhance enjoyment for many players. Additionally, the increase in pot size with each round of betting provides added interest and the anticipation of continually increasing rewards for expectant winners.

One variety of community card poker is Omaha poker, in which each player receives four pocket cards unique to that player. A round of betting occurs after the pocket cards are dealt, followed by the display of three community cards. A second round of betting occurs, followed by the display of a fourth community card. A third round of betting then occurs, followed by the display of a fifth community card. A final round of betting occurs, after which the players determine the winner. The winner is the player who has the highest ranked hand formed from any two of the pocket cards and three of the community cards. The winner receives all the accumulated bets in the pot.

Omaha poker is often played in a high/low version in which the pot is split between the player with the highest ranked hand and the player with the lowest ranked hand. In this variation, the same player can win both the high and the low pots by utilizing different combinations of the four pocket cards to form two hands. Omaha Poker does not allow a hand to be formed from only a player's pocket cards. Since each player has nine cards available in a large number of sets, this game is likely to generate highly ranked poker hands in each hand played, making the game less interesting to many players. Furthermore, since most of the cards used to form a hand are community cards, the ability of a player to fully utilize a good hand is compromised, since other players have access to most of the same cards in forming their hands. Additionally, a full hand of five cards is available after the first round of betting, which tends to encourage players to fold who do not make a ranked hand when the first three community cards are dealt.

Six-Card Omaha Poker is a variation of Omaha Poker. In Six-Card Omaha Poker, each player receives six pocket cards. Play proceeds in the same way as in Omaha Poker. At the showdown, the winner is the player with the highest ranked hand formed from any two of his six pocket cards and three community cards. Six-Card Omaha Poker does not allow a hand to be formed from only a player's pocket cards, and since each player has eleven cards available in a large number of sets, this game is likely to generate highly ranked poker hands in each hand played, making the game less interesting to many players. Furthermore, since most of the cards used to form a hand are community cards, the ability of a player to fully utilize a good hand is compromised, since other players have access to most of the same cards in forming their hands. Additionally, a full hand of five cards is available after the first round of betting, which tends to encourage players to fold who do not make a ranked hand when the first three community cards are dealt.

Another very popular variety of community card poker is Texas Hold'em. In Texas Hold'em, each player receives two pocket cards. Play proceeds in the same order as in Omaha Poker. At the showdown, the winner is the player with the highest ranked hand formed from any combination of the player's pocket cards and the community cards. This can result in a tie if the highest hand is the five community cards, in which case the pot is split among the players not eliminated in the betting rounds. Texas Hold'em does not allow a hand to be formed from only a player's pocket cards, and since most of the cards used to form a hand are community cards, the ability of a player to fully utilize a good hand is compromised, since other players have access to most of the same cards in forming their hands. Additionally, a full hand of five cards is available after the first round of betting, which tends to encourage players to fold who do not make a ranked hand when the first three community cards are dealt.

Cincinnatti poker is another variety of community card poker. In Cincinnatti poker, each player receives five pocket cards. Five community cards are placed face down in the center of the board. The first round of betting is executed before any of the community cards are turned over. Each of the community cards are turned face up one-by-one with a round of betting following the turn of each card. Since in Cincinnatti Poker, each player has ten cards available in a single set, the game is very likely to generate highly ranked poker hands in each hand played, making the game less interesting to many players. Furthermore, since half of the cards used to form a hand are community cards, the ability of a player to fully utilize a good hand is compromised, since other players have access to many of the same cards in forming their hands. Additionally, a full hand of five cards is available before the first round of betting, which tends to encourage players to fold who do not make a ranked hand.

Church Poker is a variety of community card poker similar to Cincinnatti Poker. Each player is dealt five pocket cards, and five community cards are dealt face down to the center of the table in the shape of a cross with three cards up and three across. The center card is shared between the vertical and horizontal sets. Play proceeds as in Cincinnatti Poker, with a round of betting before the first community card is turned face up, and a round of betting after each community card is turned face up. The community cards are turned face up in a particular order, with one of the outer cards turned face up first, and the other outer cards turned face up in clockwise order. The center card is turned face up last, before the final round of betting. The winner is the player with the highest ranked hand formed from the five pocket cards and either the set of three vertical cards or the set of three horizontal cards. Since in Church Poker, each player has ten cards available in two sets of eight, the game is likely to generate highly ranked poker hands in each hand played, making the game less interesting to many players. Furthermore, since many of the cards used to form a hand are community cards, the ability of a player to fully utilize a good hand is compromised, since other players have access to many of the same cards in forming their hands. Additionally, a full hand of five cards is available before the first round of betting, which tends to encourage players to fold who do not make a ranked hand.

Another variety of community card poker is known as Bombs with Hats, a traditional Greek variation, in which each player is dealt a total of three pocket cards, the dealer deals one or more sets of community cards, known as bombs, and one or two wildcards, known as hats. The number of bombs and wildcards is at the dealer's discretion. The bombs may contain three or four cards each. The pocket cards, community cards, and wild cards are dealt face down at the start of each hand. Players may examine their pocket cards, followed by a round of betting. Each set of community cards, or bomb, is turned face up in turn, with a round of betting following each revealed set. After the community cards are all revealed, the wild cards are revealed in a similar fashion. The winner is the player with the highest ranked hand formed from at least two pocket cards, at most one wild card, and community cards from a single bomb sufficient to fill a five-card hand. Since in Bombs with Hats each player has from seven to more than ten cards available in numerous sets of seven or eight, the game is very likely to generate highly ranked poker hands in each hand played, making the game less interesting to many players. Furthermore, since most of the cards used to form a hand are community cards, the ability of a player to fully utilize a good hand is compromised, since other players have access to many of the same cards in forming their hands. Additionally, a full hand of five cards is available after the first round of betting, which will tend to encourage players to fold who do not make a ranked hand when the first set of community cards are turned over.

Five-Card Stud is a variety of poker in which no community cards are used. Each player is dealt one pocket card face down and one pocket card face up. A round of betting occurs, and a player is dealt a third pocket card face up. Another round of betting occurs, and each player is dealt a fourth pocket card face up. After another round of betting, each player is dealt a fifth pocket card face up. A final round of betting occurs, and the winning hand is determined. The winner is the player with the highest ranked hand formed from the five pocket cards. Five-Card Stud tends to generate very low ranked poker hands, since only five cards are dealt to each player. While this makes the game interesting in some ways, many players may prefer to have some more options in forming hands. Further, since Five-Card Stud has no community cards, the element of attempting to predict what hands opponents might be targeting is lost.

Six-Card Stud is played in a manner similar to Five-Card Stud. Each player is dealt six hole cards, with rounds of betting in between. The hole cards may be dealt in different combinations of face up and down, but the Five-Card Stud sequence of play is often followed for the first five cards, and the sixth may be face up or down. The winner is the player with the highest ranked hand formed from the six hole cards. Six-Card stud also tends to produce low ranked hands, since there are only six cards available to each player. Moreover, since Six-Card Stud has no community cards, the element of attempting to predict what hands opponents might be targeting is lost.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,983 issued to Chobanian describes a community card poker game in which each player receives two pocket cards face down, followed by a round of betting. Three community cards are then dealt, followed by another round of betting. A final community card is dealt, followed by another round of betting. After the fourth community card is dealt, each player receives one more pocket card face down, followed by the final round of betting. A player's best hand is determined from among the combination of the seven available cards. This community card poker game does not allow a hand to be formed from only a player's pocket cards, and since most of the cards used to form a hand are community cards, the ability of a player to fully utilize a good hand is compromised, since other players have access to most of the same cards in forming their hands. Additionally, a full hand of five cards is available after the first round of betting, which tends to encourage players to fold who do not make a ranked hand when the first three community cards are dealt.

U.S. Pub No. 2006/0125180 filed by LaRose describes a community card poker game in which each player receives three pocket cards, two face down and one face up. A round of betting occurs after the pocket cards are dealt, followed by the display of three community cards. A second round of betting occurs, followed by the display of a fourth community card. A third round of betting then occurs, followed by the display of a fifth community card. A final round of betting then occurs. A best hand for each player is determined from among the combinations of at most three pocket cards and up to five community cards. This community card poker game does not allow a hand to be formed from only a player's pocket cards. Moreover, since most of the cards used to form a hand are community cards, the ability of a player to fully utilize a good hand is compromised, since other players have access to most of the same cards in forming their hands. Additionally, a full hand of five cards is available after the first round of betting, which tends to encourage players to fold who do not make a ranked hand when the first three community cards are dealt.

U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0151952 filed by Encinas describes a poker game in which a player plays against a predetermined payout table. Each player is dealt a predetermined number of pocket cards, and three selectable community cards are dealt in a common area of the table. A player may select one of the selectable community cards by placing a bet in a designated selection area. A best hand is formed for each player from the selected community card and the player's pocket cards, and compared to the predetermined payout table to determine the payout. One of the fundamental challenges in a multiplayer poker game is surmising the possible hands that opponents may hold. In community card based games, calculating the hands that can be formed based on the visible community cards is a major component of this. Since this game is played against a predetermined payout table, however, there is no need to consider what hands another player may be targeting based on the community cards, so the selectable cards do not function as standard community cards. Moreover, this game provides no pot of accumulated bets, so interesting elements such as calculation of risk relative to pot size are not provided, and this game provides only a single round of betting, providing none of the anticipation and excitement of a pot growing through multiple rounds of betting. Furthermore, the player's hand must contain the selected card, preventing the player from forming a best hand from only his pocket cards.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,896,265 (Schlumbrecht) discloses a community card poker game in which a player plays both against a payout table and against other players at the table by utilizing two separate wagers, one for each part of the game. In this poker game, each player receives three cards, and three community cards are dealt. A player's best hand is determined from a combination of the player's three pocket cards and any two of the three community cards. This game does not allow a hand to be formed from only a player's pocket cards. In the part of the game played against a predetermined payout table, there is no need to consider what hands other players may be targeting, so the community cards do not serve the same function as standard community cards. In the part of the game played against other players at the table, since two of the cards used to form a hand are community cards, the ability of a player to fully utilize a good hand is compromised, since other players have access to several of the same cards in forming their hands. Moreover, the game provides only a single round of betting, providing none of the interest and excitement of a pot growing through multiple rounds of betting.

U.S. Pub. No. 2007/0170651 filed by Matusek et al. discloses a community card poker game in which each player receives three facedown pocket cards, and three community cards are dealt. Each player's best hand is formed from a combination of his three pocket cards, the third community card, and either of the remaining community cards. This community card poker game does not allow a hand to be formed from only a player's pocket cards. Since two of the cards used to form a hand are community cards, the ability of a player to fully utilize a good hand is compromised, since each player must use the third card and one of the other two community cards in forming his hands.

U.S. Pub. No. 2008/0136104 filed by Matanky discloses a community card poker game which is played like a normal game of either Texas Hold'em or Omaha poker, except that instead of a single set of five community cards, two sets of five community cards are dealt. The game can also be played in an alternative variant in which the pot is split between the player with the highest hand using the first set of community cards and the player with the highest hand using the second set of community cards, or can be paid entirely to the player with the highest ranked hand out of both sets of community cards. A player's best hand is formed from either of the two sets of community cards, but not both, and the player's two pocket cards. This poker game does not allow a hand to be formed from only a player's pocket cards, and since each player has twelve cards available in two sets of seven, this game is likely to generate highly ranked poker hands in each hand played, making the game less interesting to many players. Furthermore, since most of the cards used to form a hand are community cards, the ability of a player to fully utilize a good hand is compromised, since other players have access to most of the same cards in forming their hands. Moreover, two possible full hands of five cards are available after the first round of betting, which tends to encourage players to fold who do not make a ranked hand when the first three community cards from each set of community cards are dealt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention describes a poker game utilizing an increased number of pocket cards, community cards with usage constraints, a unique structure of play, and optional additional ranked hands to provide a fast, entertaining game in which a large proportion of hands are playable, and which maintains a high level of uncertainty until late in a round of play, encouraging players to remain in the game and increasing the size of the pot. The poker game of the present invention utilizes a deck of conventional playing cards with four suits containing 13 cards each, with each suit containing cards numbered 2 through 10 and four court cards bearing the titles of jack, queen, king and ace. In the poker game of the present invention, betting proceeds in several rounds, and any players remaining in the game after all rounds of betting compare their highest ranked combination, wherein such combination is formed using one or neither of the two community cards available to all players and any of the five pocket cards available to each player. The player remaining after all rounds of betting with the highest ranked hand receives the accumulated bets in the pot. In an alternative embodiment, players compare their highest ranked combination and their lowest ranked combination of cards, wherein such combinations are formed using one or neither of the two community cards available to all players and any of the five pocket cards available to each player. Both hands may be the same if desired. In this embodiment, the accumulated bets in the pot are split between the player with the highest ranked combination of cards and the player with the lowest ranked combination of cards. The same player may have both the highest and lowest ranked combinations of cards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram depicting the modified poker game of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart depicting the flow of play of the modified poker game of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of a typical casino poker table layout for playing the modified poker game of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic of the flow of the game. The symbols on the cards are used to indicate face up cards, and are not indicative of any requirement for play, nor are the card symbols intended to be limiting. The figure presupposes four players, but the game can be played with as few as two players and as many as ten players using a single deck of cards. Each player first receives two cards face down 110. Each player then receives a third card face up 120. A first round of betting 130 occurs, preferably starting with the play of a small blind and a big blind. Betting preferably proceeds according to standard poker betting practice. In the preferred embodiment, betting in the first round is preferably in increments of one bet unit, and betting in the third and fourth rounds is preferably in increments of two bet units. Betting in the second round may be in increments of one or two bet units, as desired. If an ante is used in the game, the ante offered by each player may be equal to the small blind or the big blind, or may be a different unit as desired. These betting amounts are only exemplary, however. The invention is not limited to these specific wagering amounts, and other wagering amounts or systems are considered within the scope of the invention.

Betting in poker games usually utilizes poker chips which represent certain cash denominations such as $1, $5, $10, and so forth. Betting in the modified poker game of the present invention can be played with poker chips, cash, score tokens, electronic chip representations, or any other item or system suitable for use in poker betting systems.

Poker play in standard practice proceeds to the left, and is thus referenced in this disclosure. However, the direction of play and positioning of the big blind and the small blind in relationship to the dealer are not material to the invention, and such references throughout this disclosure are not intended to be limiting. Additionally, betting often commences with the player with the highest showing hand, though betting may commence from a designated player or in other schemes. The player who commences each betting round is not material to this invention, and such references throughout this disclosure are not intended to be limiting.

After the first round of betting 130, two community cards are dealt 140, followed by a second round of betting 150. Each player then receives one additional card face up 160. A third round of betting 170 then occurs, followed by each player receiving one additional card face down 180. Finally, the last round of betting 190 and the showdown 200 occur. The winner is determined during the showdown in a process described in the discussion of FIG. 2

Referring to FIG. 2, a flowchart is provided which illustrates the detailed flow of play of a preferred embodiment of the poker game of the present invention. The flowchart shows a series of eleven steps which take place sequentially in the course of the game.

At the start of the game, the first optional step 210 involves each player placing the designated ante into the pot before the receipt of any cards.

The second step 215 is the dealing of two cards face down to each player.

The third step 220 is the dealing of one card face up to each player.

The fourth step 225 is the playing of a big blind and a small blind, and the first round of betting. The small blind is preferably played by the player to the left of the dealer, and the big blind is preferably played by the player to the left of that player. Betting preferably proceeds to the left of the player playing the big blind. The bet unit for this round is preferably one unit. The positioning of the big blind and the small blind, the direction of play, and the bet units used are not intended to be limiting.

The fifth step 230 is the dealing of two community cards face up. When determining a player's best hand, either community card may be used with a player's pocket cards to form the best poker hand, but both community cards may not be used to form a single poker hand.

The sixth step 235 involves the second round of betting. Each player bets based on the two face-down cards and one face-up card he has received, the community cards, and his knowledge of the other players' hands due to each player's face-up card and the other players' betting. The bet unit for this round is preferably one or two units.

The betting preferably starts with the player with the highest showing hand and proceeds clockwise around the table.

The seventh step 240 is the dealing of an additional face-up card to each player.

The eighth step 245 involves a involves a third round of betting, in which each player bets based on his pocket cards, the two community cards, the other players' showing hands, and the other players' betting. Betting preferably starts from the player with the highest showing hand and proceeds clockwise around the table. The bet unit for this round is preferably two units.

The ninth step 250 is the dealing of an additional card face down to each player.

The tenth step 255 involves the fourth round of betting. Each player bets based on his pocket cards, the two community cards, the other players' showing hands, and the other players' betting. The bet unit for the round is again preferably two units. The betting again preferably starts with the player with the highest showing hand and proceeds clockwise around the table.

The eleventh step 260 is the resolution of the hand, or showdown, in which any remaining players show their hands. Each remaining player's best hand of five cards, formed from the player's pocket cards and one or zero of the two community cards, are compared, and the player with the highest ranking hand wins the accumulated bets in the pot.

A second embodiment of the game can be played as a high/low game in which the pot is split between the players with the highest ranking hand and the lowest ranking hand. This embodiment of the invention is played in the same manner as the first embodiment of the invention until the eleventh step 260, the showdown. In this second embodiment, during the showdown, any remaining players show their hands. Each remaining player's best hand of five cards, formed from the player's pocket cards and one or zero of the two community cards, are compared, and the player with the highest ranking hand wins half the accumulated bets in the pot. Each remaining player's lowest hand of five cards, formed from the player's pocket cards and one or zero of the two community cards, are compared, and the player with the lowest ranked hand wins the other half of the accumulated bets in the pot. The same cards may be used to comprise both a player's high hand and low hand, but neither hand may utilize both of the community cards. The same player may win with both the high hand and the low hand. In an embodiment, hands such as straights and flushes may be ignored when comparing the rank of the low hands, if desired.

The play of this game provides several advantages that enhance the enjoyment and excitement for the players. The game provides to each player a total of seven cards from which a hand may be formed, in any combination that does not include both community cards. This amount and combinations provides a game in which higher ranked hands are less common, and players are likely to have a reasonable chance of winning with a wide variety of hands. At the same time, sufficient cards are available for multiple combinations to be possible, and the restriction to usage of one or zero of the community cards provides interest for players who enjoy having options in hands they may be targeting. The usage of two community cards also provides interest, since other players may be utilizing some of the cards, but does not provide so many community cards that the value of the pocket cards is reduced. Furthermore, the action in the game is later than most poker games, due to the fact that players do not have five cards available until after the second round of betting, with only two rounds of betting left. This tends to encourage players to stay in the game a longer amount of time in order to see a potential hand. This will also lead to larger pots, as the players must contribute to the pot to stay in the game. Larger pots will further increase the excitement of the game, as the potential reward for the winner will be higher.

In an embodiment, the novel poker game disclosed herein may be played with a modified high hand ranking. The standard poker hand rankings are, in descending order: royal flush, straight flush, four-of-a-kind, full house, flush, straight, three-of-a-kind, two pairs, one pair, high card singletons. Instead of using standard poker hand ranking, in this embodiment, the game may be played with the modified hand rank of, in descending order: royal flush, straight flush, four-of-a-kind, full house, flush, straight, four-card straight flush, three-of-a-kind, two pairs, four-card flush, four-card straight, one pair, high card singletons. In yet a further embodiment, the low hand rank may ignore the additional straights and flushes if desired. The addition of the four-card straights and flushes increases the number of playable hand combinations in order to enhance player interest.

FIG. 3 illustrates a typical poker table as used in the play of the modified poker game of the present invention. A dealer position 310 is provided for a casino dealer. A first player position 320, second player position 330, third player position 340, fourth player position 350, fifth player position 360, and sixth player position 370 are also provided. A community card space 380 is provided in the center of the table. Six players are shown as a typical number of players, but the modified poker game of the present invention can be played by as few as two player and as many as ten players with a single deck of cards.

The games disclosed in the various embodiments of this invention may be played in a wide variety of settings. The game may be played in a casino setting, with optional elements as known in the art including a house dealer who is not a participant in the game and a commission on winnings. This game is also suitable for use in software for use in wagering and non-wagering devices, personal mobile devices, computers and gaming boxes as are known in the art; in media suitable for transferring software incorporating the game as is understood in the art; in internet or intranet service for gaming or non-gaming purposes. 

1. A method of playing a modified poker game using a standard 52-card deck, comprising the steps of: a. dealing four or more pocket cards to each player participating in the poker game; b. dealing two community cards; c. one or more rounds of betting; and d. after all rounds of betting, all remaining players present their pocket cards to determine which player has a winning five-card poker hand, wherein each poker hand comprises at least four pocket cards and zero or one of the community cards.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein each player is dealt five pocket cards.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein each player is dealt three pocket cards face down and two pocket cards face up.
 4. The method of claim 2 wherein a winning poker hand is the poker hand with the highest rank.
 5. The method of claim 2 wherein a winning poker hand is the poker hand with the lowest rank.
 6. The method of claim 2 wherein a winning poker hand is the hand with the highest rank or the hand with the lowest rank.
 7. The method of claim 5 wherein the accumulated bets are split between the player with the hand with the highest rank and the player with the hand with the lowest rank, including the case where the same player has both the highest ranked and lowest ranked hands.
 8. A method of playing a modified poker game using a standard 52-card deck comprising the steps of: a. dealing two cards face down to each player; b. dealing one card face up to each player; c. conducting a round of betting; d. dealing two community cards face up; e. conducting a round of betting; f. dealing one card face up to each player; g. conducting a round of betting; h. dealing one card face down to each player; i. conducting a round of betting; j. exposing the dealt cards of each player remaining in the round of play; and k. determining which players have a winning five-card poker hand, wherein each poker hand comprises at least four pocket cards and zero or one of the community cards.
 9. The method of claim 8 in which said steps (a) through (i) are conducted sequentially beginning with step (a) and concluding with step (i).
 10. The method of claim 9 in which said steps (a) through (k) are conducted sequentially beginning with step (a) and concluding with step (k).
 11. The method of claim 8 in which a winning poker hand is the highest ranked hand.
 12. The method of claim 11 in which said steps (a) through (i) are conducted sequentially beginning with step (a) and concluding with step (i).
 13. The method of claim 11 in which said steps (a) through (k) are conducted sequentially beginning with step (a) and concluding with step (k).
 14. The method of claim 8 in which winning poker hands are the highest ranked hand and the lowest ranked hand.
 15. The method of claim 14 in which said steps (a) through (i) are conducted sequentially beginning with step (a) and concluding with step (i).
 16. The method of claim 14 in which said steps (a) through (k) are conducted sequentially beginning with step (a) and concluding with step (k).
 17. The method of claim 14 in which the accumulated bets are split between the player who has the highest ranked poker hand and the player who has the lowest ranked poker hand. 